That the following be added to section 18, paragraph (_b_), line 7, of said paragraph, between the word "composition" and the word "any," viz, "including any talking-machine record." The amendment to section 3 is mainly designed to protect talking-machine manufacturers who have invested very large sums of money in records and in dies or matrices for pressing the same, many of which contain musical compositions the notation of which has been copyrighted, but which under existing laws these records do not in any manner infringe. To now take away the right to use these matrices and records, into which so much money has been put, would be very unjust and inequitable and work a great hardship upon the talking-machine manufacturers--that is, if my reading and understanding of this bill is correct. This would tie up a very large amount of capital, and place the talking-machine record manufacturers at the mercy of the owners of subsisting copyrights. The object of the amendment to section 18, paragraph (_b_), is to relieve any doubt that records containing the characteristic articulation of the human voice, or the characteristic instrumentation by a performer, adapted for reproducing these characteristic utterances and performances to the ear are intended to be included as copyrightable matter under section 4 of this bill. I think there will be no question but that the particular characteristic utterances of a singer, or recitationist, or of an actor, or of an orator, or the particular instrumentation of a pianist, or leader of an orchestra, etc., independent of the composition itself, whether it is copyrighted or not, should be equally entitled to protection, as a photograph or reproduction of a work of art. It matters not whether the subject-matter of the record is otherwise copyrightable or not. If the piece played is copyrighted as a musical composition, it can not be reproduced on a sound record, in accordance with the bill, without the permission of the composer. A Paderewski, however, may play the copyrighted selection, and a record of his rendition of it, with all his personality and individuality thrown into the piece, should be entitled to a copyright on a sound record for reproducing purposes. This is true also of the voice of a Caruso or a Melba singing either a copyrighted or uncopyrighted piece. It is true also, as a further illustration, of the recitation by Henry Irving of "Eugene Aramas' Dream." What is here copyrighted in these records is the individuality and personality of the rendition by the performer. It is the picture of the voice, or of the instrumentation, as, for instance, a copyrighted photograph is a picture of a person or thing.